From stage lights to craft tables
From stage lights to craft tables, Joanna Blossom’s journey has been anything but ordinary. Based in Alverstoke, Joanna now runs ‘Mrs Blossom Makes’, offering imaginative, hands-on craft workshops for children and families across Gosport and surrounding areas. From holiday clubs at Gomer Infant School, Brockhurst Primary, Peel Common Primary, and Elson Infant School, to sessions at community hubs and local libraries, her workshops provide children aged 4–11 with the opportunity to explore their creativity through projects such as fairy doors, seasonal crafts, and themed art activities.
Early career in entertainment
A trained stage manager, Joanna began her career at Butlins in Bognor Regis, running their busy Skyline Stage. She later co-founded The Dramatic Entrance Company with her husband, producing shows for holiday resorts nationwide and supplying unique acts such as fire eaters, stilt walkers, and magicians. Their productions included Spooky Science and Magic Exposed for the 35 Haven parks.
A shift towards education
After several years in the entertainment industry, Joanna sought something more personal and secure. “I left the business and became a governor and volunteer in a school, alongside a role as a learning support assistant,” she explains. For eight years, Joanna worked in education, supporting children as a teaching assistant and after-school club tutor.
Returning to her first love: art and craft
During maternity leave in 2018, with support of her husband, Matt, Joanna gained the confidence to return to her first love: art and craft, launching Mrs Blossom Makes from her home in village Alverstoke. “What began as a small idea soon flourished into a thriving business,” she says proudly. Joanna has delivered workshops for Elson Community Library and Hub, The Kings Theatre in Portsmouth, Chichester Festival Theatre, and major funded projects including Culture Spark (Chichester District Council), Pompey HAF at Portsmouth City Museum, and the We Shine Light Festival for Portsmouth Creates.
Nurturing creativity from a young age
Joanna’s love for art blossomed from an early age, nurtured by the creativity she shared with her mother. “My mum has always loved all art forms,” she fondly recalls. With her mother’s encouragement, Joanna’s passion grew into confidence, leading her to win several competitions. One of her fondest memories is designing a bike safety poster for the Gosport police with her best friend at the time.
For Joanna, art is about expression rather than perfection. “Art should be accessible to everyone. It’s not about being academic or getting it right’ or wrong. It’s your own interpretation,” she says. “Creativity is in all of us before we can even crawl. Babies develop their fine motor skills by making marks and exploring — that’s art in its earliest form.” This philosophy underpins Joanna’s workshops, which focus on fun, exploration, and experimentation, rather than formal instruction.
Holiday clubs and special workshops
Mrs Blossom Makes holiday clubs are particularly popular, offering something different from typical sports-led activities. “Not every child is sporty, but every child is creative in their own way,” Joanna says. “These workshops give children the chance to shine in a space where imagination and making are at the heart of everything.”
She’s currently preparing for her drop-in Halloween art and craft club at Elson Community Hub during October half-term, as well as a special Halloween-themed workshop at Alice Holt Forest, where children will create their own haunted houses; along with a Halloween-themed school holiday craft club at Gomer Infant School.
Creating magic through fairy doors
Joanna’s favourite workshops are those where children make fairy doors. “There’s something so magical about creating a fairy door with children,” she explains. “It encourages creativity and gives them the confidence to dig deep into their imagination.”
A standout memory
A standout memory from her years of delivering workshops came in 2022 when Joanna worked with 100 children, which included patients from Portsmouth Hospitals’ children’s ward. The children were tasked with creating fairy doors that were then put into an illuminated installation in Victoria Park as part of ‘Portsmouth Creates’ We Shine initiative.
“It was so impactful for the children to travel to the park with their families and show off their work,” Joanna recalls. “It brought a sense of magic and pride to everyone, and afterwards the children were able to keep their fairy doors as a keepsake for years to come.”
Looking ahead: creativity for all
Looking ahead, Joanna hopes to secure funding to make her workshops accessible to all, including free or low-cost sessions in deprived communities and children’s wards. “Art should be for everyone,” she says. “No matter your background or circumstances, creativity has the power to brighten lives and bring people together.”
For more information, you can visit: www.mrsblossommakes.com
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